A HEAVENLY song of praise is brightly sung on the earth; * the hosts
of the Angels keep an earthly festival now in splendour and radiant joy;
* from on high, they praise with hymns thy suff'rings and struggles; *
and below, the Church doth laud the heavenly glory * thou foundest by thy
contests and pains, O glorious Phanurius.

From when Phanurios (also spelled Phanurius), the splendid athlete of the
Lord and invincible martyr, came, and of what parentage he was, and even
in what age he lived and under the reign of which emperors he waged his
struggle and fought his fight, we have been unable to ascertain; for the
account of his life has been lost owing to the vicissitudes of time, as
many other things also have been lost or become obscure and unclear.

This only dod we know, that when the Hagarenes ruled the renowned isle of Rhodes,
having conquered it because of our sins, he that became ruler of the island
wished to rebuild the ramparts of the city that past sieges had ravaged.
On the outskirts of the fortress were several ruined dwellings, that had
been abandoned by reason of their association with the old fortress, which
was located a furlong to the south. From the ruins the Hagarenes were wont
to gather stones for their construction.

It so happened that, while excavating and reinforcing that place, they
discovered a most beautiful church, which was partly buried in ruins. Excavating
as far as the floor of the temple, they found many holy icons, all decayed
and crumbling, yet the icon of the holy Phanourius was whole and entire;
indeed, it seemed as though it had been painted but that very day. And
when this all-venerable temple was uncovered, together with its sacred
icons, the hierarch of that place, Nilus by name, a man of great sanctity
and learning, came and read the inscription of the icon, which said, "The
Holy Phanourius."

The saint was depicted upon the icon as follows: He was shown as a young
man, arrayed as a soldier, holding a cross in his right hand, and at the
upper part of the cross there was a lighted taper. Round about the perimeter
of the icon were twelve scenes from the only one's martyrdom, which showed
the saint being examined before the magistrate; then in the midst of a
multitude of soldiers, who were beating him about the mouth and head with
stones; then stretched out upon the ground while the soldiers flogged him;
then, stripped naked while they rent his flesh with iron hooks; then incarcerated
in a dungeon, and again standing before the tyrant's tribunal; then being
burned with candles; then bound to a rack; then cast amidst wild beasts;
then crushed with a great rock; then standing before idols holding burning
coals in his hands, whilst a demon nearby wept and lamented; and finally
he is shown standing erect in the midst of a fiery furnace, his hands,
as were, uplifted towards Heaven.

From the twelve scenes depicted upon the icon, the holy hierarch perceived
that the saint was a martyr. Then straightway that good and pious man sent
deputation's to the rulers of that place, asking that they consign to him
that temple for restoration; but this they declined to do.

Therefore, the
hierarch traveled to Constantinople alone and there obtained a decree empowering
him to rebuild the church; thus it was restored to that state in which
it can be seen even to this day, outside the city. And it has become the
source of many miracles, of which I shall relate one for the profit of
many, that all who love and venerate the saint may rejoice.

At that time the isle of Crete had no Orthodox hierarch, but a Latin
bishop, for it was ruled then by the Venetians, who had shrewdly refused
to permit an Orthodox hierarch to be consecrated whenever one died. This
they did with evil intent, thinking that with time they could thus convert
the Orthodox to the papist dogmas. If Orthodox men wished to obtain ordination,
they had to go to Cythera.

It came to pass that there went forth from Crete
three deacons, traveling to Crythera to be ordained priests by the hierarch
there; and when this had been accomplished, and they were returning to
their own country, the Hagarenes captured them at sea and brought them
to Rhodes, where they sold as slaves to other Hagarenes. The newly consecrated
priests lamented their misfortune day and night.

But in Rhodes, they heard tell of the great wonders wrought by the Greatmartyr
Phanourius, and straightway they made fervent supplication to the saint,
beseeching him with tears to deliver them from their bitter bondage. And
this they did each separately, without knowing ought of what the others
were doing, for they had each been sold to a different master.

Now, in
accordance with the providence of God, however, they were all three permitted
by their masters to go and worship at the temple of the saint; and, guided
by God, they came all together and fell down before the sacred icon of
the saint; and, guided by God, they came all together and fell down before
the sacred icon of the saint, watering the ground with the streams of tears,
entreating him to deliver them out of the hands of the Hagarenes.

Then
they departed, somewhat consoled, each to his own master, hoping that they
would obtain mercy, which in fact did come to pass; for the holy one had
compassion upon their tears and hearkened unto their supplication. That
night he appeared to the Hagarenes who were the masters of the captive
priests, and commanded them to permit the servants of God to go and worship
in his temple lest he bring dreadful destruction upon them. But the Hagarenes,
thinking the matter sorcery, loaded them with chains and made their torments
more onerous.

Then the Greatmartyr Phanourius went to them that night and brought
them forth from their bonds, and encouraged them, saying that the following
day he would, by all means, free them. He then appeared to the Hagarenes
and, reproaching them with severity, said: "If by tomorrow ye have not
set your servants at liberty, ye shall behold the power of God!" Thus
saying, the holy one vanished. And, O, the wonder! As many as inhabited
those houses all arose blind and paralyzed, tormented with the most dreadful
pangs, the least with the greatest.

But, though bedridden, with the help
of their kinfolk they considered what to do, and finally decided to send
for the captives. And when the three wretched priests were come, they inquired
of them if they were able to heal them; and they answered: "We shall
beseech God. Let His will be done."

But the saint appeared again to the Hagarenes on the third night and
said to them: "If ye do not send to my house letters of manumission
for the priests, ye shall have neither the health, nor the light [of sight]
which ye desire." And when they had again conferred with their
kinfolk and friends, each one composed a letter of emancipation for his
own slave, which were left before the icon of the saint. And O, the wonder!

Even before the messengers sent to the temple returned, those, who before
were blind and paralyzed, were healed; and marveling they set the priests
free and dispatched them to their homeland amicably. The priests, though,
had a copy of the icon of St. Phanourius painted and took it with them
to their own country, and each year the memory of the holy one is piously
celebrated amongst them. By the prayers of the martyr may Christ God have
mercy upon us. Amen!

It's a pious Eastern Orthodox custom that if you lost something, try baking
Panouropita (cake for St. Phanourios - pron. Phanouropita). St.
Phanourios, the patron saint of lost articles, helps people find anything
from a missing piece of jewelry to good health and happiness. "Phanourios"
comes from the Greek word, "phanerono" (I reveal). When asking
St. Phanourios for help, a cake is baked for the forgiveness of the his
mother, a troubled woman. The cake can be brought to the Church and placed
to be blessed by the parish priest. Afterwards the holy blessed bread Panouropita
is shared by those at the Church.

Beat sugar and oil together until creamy yellow. Dissolve baking soda
in orange juice and pour slowly into sugar mixture. Add other ingredients
and pour into a 9" x 13" greased pan. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or
until an inserted toothpick pulls out cleanly. Cut into squares for serving
after it's blessed at the Church by the parish priest. Ask the parish priest
to remember in memory St. Phanourios mother.